Lateness 才 cái Grammar

Grammar Point:
才 cái has the function of indicating an occurrence that happened later or slower than expected. It can also be used to express “as late as” or “not until” in English.

Structure

S + Time word + 才 cái + V

不好意思bùhǎoyìsi， 你們nǐmen先xiān吃chī吧ba！ 我wǒ大概dàgài八bā點diǎn才cái會huì到dào不好意思bùhǎoyìsi， 你们nǐmen先xiān吃chī吧ba！ 我wǒ大概dàgài八bā点diǎn才cái会huì到dào
Sorry, you go ahead and eat first! I probably won’t arrive until around 8 o’clock.

他tā明年míngnián才cái會huì來lái台灣Táiwān他tā明年míngnián才cái会huì来lái台湾Táiwān
He won’t come to Taiwan until next year.

現在xiànzài客人kèrén比較bǐjiào多duō， 餐點cāndiǎn要yào30 分鐘fēnzhōng才cái會huì好hǎo现在xiànzài客人kèrén比较bǐjiào多duō， 餐点cāndiǎn要yào30 分钟fēnzhōng才cái会huì好hǎo
There are many customers now, so it will take 30 minutes for the meal to be ready.

你nǐ怎麼zěnme28 歲suì才cái從cóng大學dàxué畢業bìyè？ 你nǐ怎么zěnme28 岁suì才cái从cóng大学dàxué毕业bìyè？
Why did you graduate from college at 28?
(People usually graduate from college at 22 to 24, so 28 is later than I expected.)

為什麼wèishénme現在xiànzài才cái告訴gàosù我wǒ今天jīntiān是shì你nǐ生日shēngrì为什么wèishénme现在xiànzài才cái告诉gàosu我wǒ今天jīntiān是shì你nǐ生日shēngrì
Why you hadn’t told me it’s your birthday till now?

我wǒ昨天zuótiān趕gǎn報告bàogào， 一直yìzhí到dào半夜bànyè3 點diǎn才cái睡shuì我wǒ昨天zuótiān赶gǎn报告bàogào， 一直yìzhí到dào半夜bànyè3 点diǎn才cái睡shuì
I was trying to catch upon the report yesterday, so didn’t sleep until 3 am.

Time words can be omitted when the context is clear to both the listener and the speaker.

你nǐ才cái來lái， 電影diànyǐng都dōu開始kāishǐ了le！ 你nǐ才cái来lái， 电影diànyǐng都dōu开始kāishǐ了le！
You’ve just arrived, and the movie has already started!

你nǐ怎麼zěnme才cái說shuō， 大家dàjiā剛剛gānggāng問wèn你nǐ時shí幹嘛gànmá不bù說shuō你nǐ怎么zěnme才cái说shuō， 大家dàjiā刚刚gānggāng问wèn你nǐ时shí干嘛gànmá不bù说shuō
Why did you only say it now? You were quiet when everyone was asking a while ago.

FYI
“幹嘛干嘛 gànmá” is a super common colloquial expression in Taiwan Chinese that can be used in two different ways depending on the context. Here are some examples:
Expressing why:
• 幹嘛這麼晚還不睡覺干嘛这么晚还不睡觉？gànmá zhème wǎn hái bú shuìjiào? – Why aren’t you sleeping yet so late?
• 幹嘛不試試看干嘛不试试看？gànmá bú shìshì kàn? – Why don’t you give it a try?
Expressing do what:
• 你在幹嘛干嘛？ nǐ zài gànmá? – What are you doing?
• 你週末打算幹嘛干嘛？ nǐ zhōumò dǎsuàn gànmá? – What do you plan to do on the weekend?

• If you want to express earliness, you should use 就 jiù.

Common Mistake

Do not add 了₂ le with 才 cái, that’s the rule. Don’t ask me why. If you really want to soften the sentence, you can add 呢 ne at the end of the sentence.

He didn’t get married until he was 70 years old.

他tā到dào70 歲suì才cái結婚jiéhūn了le他tā到dào70 岁suì才cái结婚jiéhūn了le ❌

他tā到dào70 歲suì才cái結婚jiéhūn呢ne他tā到dào70 岁suì才cái结婚jiéhūn呢ne ✅

Practice

TouchHover over the space to see the answers.

✔️ You just know it now?

你nǐ現在xiànzài才cái知道zhīdào啊a？ 你nǐ现在xiànzài才cái知道zhīdào啊a？

✔️ I’ve just left the house, so I might be late. Sorry about that.

我wǒ剛剛gānggāng才cái出門chūmén， 應該yīnggāi會huì遲到chídào， 不好意思bùhǎoyìsi我wǒ刚刚gānggāng才cái出门chūmén， 应该yīnggāi会huì迟到chídào， 不好意思bùhǎoyìsi

✔️ You’re only seeing this website now, which is a bit late, but not too late. 😎

你nǐ現在xiànzài才cái看kàn到dào這個zhège網站wǎngzhàn， 有點yǒudiǎn晚wǎn但dàn不bú算suàn太tài晚wǎn你nǐ现在xiànzài才cái看kàn到dào这个zhège网站wǎngzhàn， 有点儿yǒudiǎnr晚wǎn但dàn不bú算suàn太tài晚wǎn

Other 才 cái related posts:

• 才 cái Chinese Grammar